Automatic reversing mechanism for magazines and the like



Nov. 10, 1959 w. H. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM FOR MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE F'i Iqd'J'uly 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. H. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM FOR Nov. 10, 1959 MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1956 rug Ira/221 507 11/111141: fizz a07 United States Patent AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM FOR MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE William H. Taylor, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 2, 1956, Serial No. 595,487

6 Claims. (Cl. 93-93) The present invention relates to a novel means and mechanism for reversing the position of saddle-stitched magazines and similar publications as they are delivered for stacking whereby such magazines may be uniformly stacked and packaged for shipment or storage.

Magazines of the type that are saddle-stitched along the back or one edge do not stack flat, so that when such magazines are to be satisfactorily packaged in any substantial number, approximately one-half of the stack must be reversed. To facilitate such uniform stacking and packaging, the present invention comprehends a novel assembly for automatically reversing the position of each succeeding number of saddle-stitched magazines as they issue from a trimmer that trims the individual magazines delivered to it from a saddle-stitching apparatus and makes them ready for stacking and packaging or wrapping.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel delivery and reversing mechanism associated with a trimmer from which the trimmed maga zines are discharged and delivering the individual trimmed magazines in sequence to a conveyor for stacking and packaging, including means for delivering to said conveyor a predetermined number of these magazines in one position and alternately delivering a similar number of these magazines to the conveyor in a reverse position whereby a substantial number of these magazines may be collected and stacked uniformly Without manual effort.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel means for automatically delivering and in a predetermined manner and sequence magazines of the type that are saddle-stitched along the back or one edge whereby a predetermined or selected number of these magazines are delivered to a conveyor in a reverse position from that of the next succeeding and selected number. In this manner, five or any selected number of the magazines are counted and delivered to the conveyor with the saddle-stitched edge or back of each of the selected number arranged in a position reverse from that of the next succeeding and selected number of magazines.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of a pair of superimposed delivery belts the lower of which operates about fixed axes and the upper of which is pivotally mounted adjacent one end upon a fixed axis with its other end adapted to be raised and lowered. In its lowered position, the upper delivery belt receives a predetermined or selected number of the completed magazines as they are delivered by the trimmer and which magazines are delivered by this delivery belt to an arcuate deflector that automatically reverses the position of each magazine as it is received and delivers these magazines in this reversed position to a conveyor.

Upon receiving the last of a predetermined or selected number of the magazines, the free end of the upper delivery belt is automatically elevated to remove it from the path of the magazines discharged by the trimmer whereupon a similar, predetermined or selected number of these magazines are delivered to the lower delivery belt and transported thereby to the conveyor. upon which they are discharged in a position reverse to that of the magazines delivered to the conveyor by the upper delivery belt.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa view in perspective of the novel reversing mechanism for delivering saddle-stitched magazines and the like disposed between the discharge end of a trimmer from which indvidual saddle-stitched magazines are discharged in sequence and a conveyor belt for alternately feeding the individual magazines for subsequent counting, stacking and packaging for shipment, the upper of the two delivery belts of the reversing mechanism being shown in its elevated, inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of Fig. 1, but showing the upper delivery belt of the reversing mechanism lowered to its operative position for intercepting and delivering a predetermined or selected number of the magazines from the trimmer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view taken from the side of the reversing mechanism and trimmer opposite to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and showing the manner in which the trimmed magazines are discharged onto the adjacent lowered end of the upper delivery belt.

Fig. 4 isa view in end elevation showing the manner in which a plurality of saddle-stitched magazines delivered by the present assembly are stacked in a reverse position in which each group or set offive magazines is reversed to admit uniformity in stacking.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic or schematic view of the pneumatic and electrical system for operating the novel reversing mechanism.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings and more particularly to the novel embodiment selected to illustrate the above invention, magazines or other publications 10 (hereinafter referred to generally as magazines) that are saddle-stitched at the back or at one edge or those which do not stack flat or uniformly, are discharged individually and in sequence from the discharge end of a trimmer 11 for delivery and subsequent operations, such as counting, stacking and packaging.

As these saddle-stitched magazines when delivered from the trimmer vary in thickness between the stitched back and the opposite edge, they cannot be uniformly stacked for packaging in any substantial number unless substantially one-half the magazines of the stack are reversed. The present invention accomplishes this reversing operation automatically as these completed magazines are delivered and conveyed for the subsequent operations including counting, stacking and packaging.

The novel reversing mechanism includes a pair of superimposed delivery belts 12 and 13 arranged adjacent the trimmer 11 and deflecting means 20 associated with the upper belt 12 for receiving and directing the magazines 10 delivered from this belt and reversing their position from that in which they are delivered or discharged by the trimmer 11 onto thebelt 12. The magazines delivered by the upper belt 12 and by the lower belt 13 from the trimmer are discharged upon a continuously operating conveyor 14 which receives and carries these magazines in spaced relation and sequence for subsequent counting, stacking and packaging, with the magazines received by the conveyor 14 from the lower belt 13 being disposed in the same relative position as on the belt 13, while those received from the upper belt 12 are reversed from the position they occupied on this belt.

A predetermined or selected number of trimmed magazines 10 are discharged or delivered individually and in sequence onto the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12 (Fig. 3), and thereafter a similar number of these trimmed magazines are delivered onto the receiving end 16 of the lower belt 13, after which a selected number are delivered to the upper belt 12, and so on alternately. To accomplish this alternate delivery, the receiving end 16 of the lower belt 13 is disposed adjacent to but below the delivery end 17 of the trimmer 11, while the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12 is alternately movable to a position adjacent to and in substantial alignment with the delivery end 17 of the trimmer 11 to intercept or receive the magazines 10 delivered from the trimmer (Figs. 2 and 3), or to an elevated position above the delivery end of the trimmer (Fig. 1) when the magazines are discharged onto the receiving end 16 of the lower belt 13.

To accomplish this movement of the receiving end 15 of the upper belt from its elevated, inoperative position (Fig. 1) to its lowered, operative position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, its drive shaft 18 (Figs. 1 and 2) has its ends journalled in fixed bearing brackets 19 mounted upon supports 21 of a frame mounting 22. This drive shaft 18 carries a roller 23 for rotating the endless upper belt 12 which at its receiving end 15 operates over a roller 24 upon a driven shaft 25 having its ends journalled in bearing brackets 26 carried upon spaced supporting arms or side frame members 27 with one supporting arm at each side of the belt 12.

The supporting arms 27 are pivotally mounted adjacent their forward end 28 upon the fixed supports 21 whereby the receiving end 15 of the belt 12 and its roller 24 are movable up and down for moving this receiving end into and out of operative relation with the discharge or delivery end 17 of the trimmer 11. This raising and lowering of the rear of the belt 12 is accomplished by the raising and lowering of an inverted, substantially U-shaped frame 29 having each of its spaced depending legs 31 anchored at 32 to a supporting arm 27, and also anchored at 33 to one of the depending sides 34 of a table 35 over which the upper portion of the belt 12 moves in the delivery of its magazines 10 from the trimmer 11 to the conveyor 14.

Connected at 36 to the upper end of the cross bar 37 of the frame 29 is the lower end of a piston rod 38 actuated by air under pressure in a cylinder 42 pivotally attached at its upper end to and suspended from a depending bracket 39 on the upper cross bar 40 of a stationary frame 41. A so-called 4-way air valve 43 (Fig. automatically reverses the air pressure in the ends of the air cylinder 42 whereby the piston rod 38 is actuated in its proper direction and carries along therewith the frame 29 to raise and lower the supporting arms 27 and the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12.

By supplying air under pressure to the upper end of the air cylinder 42 through the air line or flexible hose 44 and exhausting it through the air line or flexible hose 45, the piston rod 38 is forced outwardly and downwardly to lower the frame 29 and move the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12 to its lowered position for receiving the individual magazines in sequence from the delivery end 17 of the trimmer 11. By reversing the flow of air whereby air under pressure is supplied to the lower end of the cylinder 42 through the air line or flexible hose 45 and exhausting the cylinder through the air line or flexible hose 44, the frame 29 is elevated to move the receiving end of the upper belt 12 to its raised, inoperative position where the frame 29 abuts rubber blocks 30 on the frame 41.

As shown diagrammatically or schematically in Fig. 5, the 4-way air valve 43 contains a port 46 for supplying air to one end of the cylinder through the air line or hose 44, and a port 47 for supplying air to the other end of the cylinder through the air line or hose 45, it being understood that when air is supplied through the port 46 or port 47 to one end of the cylinder 42, air is relieved from the other end of the cylinder through the other port. A port 48 in the air valve provides for discharge of the relieved pressure from the valve. The air valve 43 is actuated by an electric coil or solenoid 49 for the purpose of reversing the ports therein to deliver air in the required direction through either the air line or hose 44 or 45 to one or the other end of the cylinder 42.

The magazines delivered by the trimmer contact an arm 51 of a counter switch 52 for counting the number of magazines being delivered alternately to the belts 12 and 13. This switch transmits an electrical impulse through a counter coil 53 to an electrical counter 54 and moves the counter one notch. When a full count as determined by the setting of the counter has been reached, a contact switch 55 makes contact in the counter which energizes the solenoid or coil 49 of the 4-way air valve 43. Thereupon the air valve supplies air to one side of the cylinder or the other to elevate or lower the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12.

The magazines are delivered by the trimmer with the stitched back of each in the same relative position. Assuming each magazine delivered from the trimmer to either the upper belt 12 or to the lower belt 13 is arranged with the cover exposed or uppermost and the stitched back disposed to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, those delivered by the upper belt 12 are discharged against a curved guide 56 of the deflecting means 20 that reverse the position of these magazines, exposes their opposite faces and directs them in sequence and in spaced relation onto the conveyor 14 with the back page or back of the cover exposed or uppermost and the saddle-stitching now disposed to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. When five or other predetermined or selected number of these magazines as determined by the setting of the counter 54 have been delivered to the lowered receiving end of the upper belt 12 (Figs. 2 and 3), the receiving end 15 of this belt 12 is elevated (Fig. 1) so that the next five or selected number of magazines are delivered to the receiving end 16 of the lower belt 13, after which the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12 is again lowered to its operative position and this alternate delivery continues so long as magazines are delivered from the trimmer 11.

As clearly apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, magazines delivered by the upper belt 12 are discharged upon the conveyor 14 from the arcuate-shaped deflector or curved guide 56 mounted at one side of the conveyor 14 and secured in fixed position at its upper end 57 by a bolt or rod 58 attached to the cross bar 59 of a frame 61 affixed to and carried by the spaced supports 21, and at its lower end 62 secured to a fixed guide or side plate 63 arranged at one side of the conveyor 14.

The lower belt 13 operates about a roller 64 mounted on and carried by a drive shaft 65 having its ends journalled in bearing blocks (not shown) aflixed to the stationary uprights 66 of the frame 22 at one side of and spaced from the conveyor 14, and about a roller 67 mounted on and carried by a driven shaft 68 having its ends journalled in fixed position in spaced side plates 69 of the frame 71. A flat guide plate 72 is arranged between the discharge end of the belt 13 and the conveyor 14 for directing the magazines delivered by the belt 13 to the conveyor.

To drive the shaft 18 of the upper belt 12 and the shaft 65 of the lower belt 13, there is provided a motor 73 having a sheave 74 and a belt 75 driving a sheave 76 keyed to the shaft 65 for the lower belt 13. Another sheave 77 on the shaft 65 drives or rotates a sheave 78 on the shaft 18 of the upper belt 12 by means of a belt 79 which also passes about an idler pulley 81 carried by an arm or support 82 adjustably mounted on a cross bar 83 whereby adjustment of the tension on the belt is effected.

In the operation of the present reversing mechanism and assuming that five magazines are delivered to the lower belt 13 and then a similar number to the upper belt 12 and this successive operation continues, means are provided for automatically raising and lowering thedelivery end 15 of the upper belt 12 whereby five magazines discharged in sequence from the trimmer are directed to one belt and the succeeding five are directed to the other belt, etc. Moving the delivery end 15 of the upper belt 12 to its operative and inoperative positions is accomplished by actuation of the counter switch 52 and counter 54.

With the upper belt 12 raised to its inoperative position, five magazines are delivered to the lower belt 13 and by it discharged face up upon the conveyor. Upon delivery of the last of the five magazines to the lower belt 13, the counter switch 52 and counter 54 energize the coil or solenoid 49 which actuates the 4-way air valve 43 to supply air under pressure to the airline or hose/14 and the upper end of the cylinder 42. Simultaneously, air is exhausted from the lower end of the cylinder 42 through the air line or hose 45. This causes the piston rod 38 to be lowered and move the receiving end 15 of the upper belt 12 to its lowered, operative position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereupon the belt 12 receives the next five magazines.

As the fifth magazine is discharged by the trimmer onto the belt 12, the counter switch 52 and the counter 54 again energize the coil or solenoid 49 of the 4-way air valve 43, whereupon the latter supplies air under pressure to the lower end of the cylinder 42 through the lower air line or hose 45-5 and exhausts air from the upper end of the cylinder through the air line or hose 44, and the receiving end 115 of the belt 12 is raised to inoperative position. When the belt 12 is elevated, the next five magazines are delivered to the lower belt v13, and this alternate feeding of magazines to the upper and lower belts continues.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawings, it will be evident that the present invention com prehends a novel means and manner of reversing magazines that are saddle-stitched or those when assembled and packaged in substantial numbers cannot be satisfactorily packaged without reversing the position of a substantial number thereof.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. Reversing mechanism for delivering saddle-stitched magazines discharged from a trimmer and delivering them to a conveyor and in which delivery a selected number of such magazines are delivered to the conveyor with their face up and a similar number are reversed and delivered to the conveyor with their face down and alternately and continuously delivering similar numbers of such magazines in reverse position, comprising a conveyor, a pair of delivery belts each having a receiving end for receiving the magazines from the trimmer and a delivery end for discharging the magazines received from the trimmer onto the conveyor, means for mounting said belts in superposed relation with the receiving end of the lower belt positioned adjacent to and below the discharge from the trimmer, means for alternately raising and lowering the receiving end of the upper belt into and out of position for receiving individual magazines from the trimmer and including mechanism actuated upon the discharge of a selected number of magazines from the trimmer for raising and lowering the receiving end of the upper belt, and means for turning over and thereby reversing the magazines delivered by the upper belt to the conveyor.

2. Reversing mechanism for alternately delivering a selected number of magazines and the like in one position and then in a reverse position upon a conveyor for subsequent stacking and packaging, comprising a conveyor, a delivery belt for delivering the magazines face up to the conveyor, a second delivery belt disposed above said first belt, means for pivotally mounting one end of said second delivery belt, means for raising and lowering the otherend of said second belt, means for supplying said first delivery belt with individual magazines when the other end of said second belt is raised and supplying individual magazines to the second belt when its other end is lowered, means for reversing the position of the magazines delivered by the second belt tothe conveyor, and means for operating said raising and lowering means for the other end of said second belt upon the discharge of a selected number of magazines from said supply means.

3. Reversing mechanism for delivering magazines discharged from a trimmer and delivering them to a conveyor and, in which delivery a selected number of such magazines are delivered to the conveyor as discharged from the trimmer and a similar number are delivered to the conveyor in a reverse position and alternately and continuously delivering similar numbers of such maga zines in said manner, comprising a conveyor, a pair of delivery belts each having a receiving end for receiving the magazines from the trimmer and a delivery end for discharging the maagzines received from the trimmer onto the conveyor, means for selectively delivering a predetermined number of magazines to said delivery belts alternately and from said delivery belts to said conveyor including means for alternately raising and lowering the receiving end of one of said delivery belts into and out of receiving position and when in receiving position intercepting a selected number of said magazines as they are discharged from the trimmer, and a defiector for intercepting, turning over and reversing the position of the magazines delivered to said conveyor from said last men tioned belt.

4. Reversing mechanism for delivering saddle-stitched magazines discharged from a trimmer and delievring them to a conveyor and in which delivery a selected number of such magazines are delivered to the conveyor with their face up and a similar number are reversed and delivered to the conveyor with their face down, comprising a conveyor, a pair of deliver belts arranged in superposed relation and each adapted to alternately receive from the trimmer and deposit these magazines onto the conveyor, means for selectively delivering in sequence a predetermined number of individual magazines to each of said delivery belts and from said belts to said conveyor including means for alternately moving the receiving end of said upper delivery belt into and out of receiving position and when in receiving position intercepting a predetermined number of said magazines, and a curved deflector for intercepting the individual magazines delivered from the upper belt only, reversing their position and depositing these magazines on the conveyor in position reverse to that of the magazines deposited by the other belt.

5. Reversing mechanism for alternately delivering a selected number of magazines and the like in one position and then in a reverse position upon a conveyor for subsequent operations of stacking and packaging, comprising a conveyor, a delivery belt for delivering and depositing a selected number of magazines upon the conveyor in the position occupied on said delivery belt, a second belt for delivering a similar number of magazines to .the conveyor, means for alternately supplying said belts with magazines including means for alternately moving the receiving end of the second delivery belt into and out of receiving position and when in receiving position having deposited thereon a selected number of magazines for delivery to the conveyor and when out of receiving position a selected number of magazines are delivered to the first mentioned delivery belt for delivery to the conveyor, and a guide member associated with said second belt for intercepting the magazines from said second belt, turning them over to expose the opposite side of and depositing these magazines on the conveyor in a position reverse to that of the magazines delivered to the conveyor by the first belt.

6. Mechanism for alternately and automatically reversing the position of a selected number of magazines as they are delivered individually to a conveyor for subsequent stacking and packing, comprising a conveyor, means for automatically delivering magazines to said conveyor in sequence with the selected number of said magazines delivered in one position and following with a similar number delivered in reverse position and including a pair of delivery belts for receiving magazines and delivering them to the conveyor, means for counting the magazines delivered to said belts and selectively discharging a predetermined number of magazines onto one and then a similar number of magazines onto the other of said delivery belts including means for alternately moving the receiving end of one of said belts into and out of receiving position and when in receiving position receiving a predetermined number of said magazines and when out of receiving position a similar number of said magazines are delivered to the receiving end of the other of said delivery belts, and means for intercepting, turning 8 over and thereby reversing the position of magazines delivered by one of said belts to said conveyor to expose the opposite face of said magazines, whereby a selected number of magazines in one position are deposited on the conveyor followed by a similar number in a reverse position to facilitate counting, stacking and packaging of a substantial number of these magazines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,967,168 Zuber July 17, 1934 2,449,234 Knoble Sept. 14, 1948 2,485,943 Turrall Oct. 25, 1949 2,526,916 Turrall Oct. 24, 1950 2,540,971 Wagner et a1. Feb. 6, 1951 2,540,972 Wagner et al. Feb. 6, 1951 2,563,492 Turrall et al Aug. 7, 1951 2,668,483 Sykes Feb. 9, 1954 2,673,652 Steadman Mar. 30, 1954 

